| Judo is a method of turning an opponent's strength | | | | when you call for support you deal directly with us |
| into a weakness and overcoming their physical | | | | We're better because we specialize in this one |
| advantage by skill rather than sheer strength. You | | | | specific area |
| can use something I call Small Business Judo (I | | | | You'll have direct access to our senior most |
| sometimes refer to this as Virtual Business Judo) to | | | | executives |
| compete against large and established companies by | | | | It is much easier for us to accommodate your |
| turning their greatest strengths into clearly defined | | | | suggestions because we're not trying to service |
| weaknesses. Don't try to show greater depth of | | | | 5,000 clients |
| resources or feign an ability which is not at your | | | | These types of statements attack your competitor's |
| command. Don't try to convince someone that you | | | | strengths by turning them into weaknesses. You can |
| have a broader product line than an established billion | | | | leverage your modest size and resources as an |
| dollar competitor if you only employ five people. But | | | | advantage. Words like flexible, responsive, important, |
| you can easily convince someone that you have | | | | expert, focus, boutique, current and leading edge can |
| great expertise in a focused area or that you'll be | | | | make your startup sound like a winner. Imagine the |
| much more responsive than a multibillion dollar | | | | small, swift ship that can change course at the |
| corporation. | | | | slightest touch of the rudder, while the competitor's |
| If you were to take a 40 foot cabin cruiser and | | | | battleship sails on another mile before beginning her |
| place it in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, nobody | | | | turn. Think about the maneuverability of a Ferrari |
| would notice it, and even if you were searching for it, | | | | when compared to an eighteen-wheeler, or a jet ski |
| it is unlikely to be found. Yet if we were to take the | | | | compared to a yacht. Another great example of |
| same 40 foot boat and place it in the middle of a | | | | Small Business Judo can be used when you are |
| small two acre pond, it would be almost impossible to | | | | competing with a firm that has a large account base |
| overlook. Small companies should consider this | | | | and has been around a long time. Let's say their |
| perspective when seeking market share for their | | | | solution has 1,000 customers installed and yours only |
| emerging business. Some years ago, while leading the | | | | has ten, and their solution has been in use for over a |
| sales and marketing efforts of a small software | | | | decade, whereas yours has only been in use for two |
| startup, I decided to focus our sales and marketing | | | | years. You could say: |
| efforts on a very small and specific target market, | | | | Our system was written from the ground up |
| small medical offices with one to four physicians, in | | | | two years ago and takes advantage of all the newer |
| New England. We touted our local presence, ease of | | | | technologies |
| use and superior support, jabbed at competitors' | | | | Because our system is more recently developed |
| large, lumbering size, and critiqued their large scale | | | | it is more compatible than the older systems |
| platforms. | | | | Our code is newer and more efficient than the |
| We then practiced Small Business Judo to help | | | | competition |
| convey our competitive advantages. Don't try to be | | | | We're more focused than the older traditional |
| what you are not. If you're a small software | | | | companies because of our size and expertise in your |
| company, don't try to look like SAP. If you're a niche | | | | specific market |
| integration firm, don't try to act like IBM. Instead of | | | | We're more responsive because we're not trying |
| fighting an uphill battle attempting to show you are | | | | to service 5,000 clients |
| superior in every way to an established competitor, | | | | We'll make you feel like you're our number one |
| take a boutique approach, leveraging their perceived | | | | client |
| strengths against them, and turning their superior size | | | | With some practice and a good understanding of |
| and marketing muscle into a weakness. Convey a | | | | both your competitive advantages and your |
| responsive, flexible, expertise-oriented image by | | | | competitor's weaknesses, you can leverage Small |
| saying for example: | | | | Business Judo to outmaneuver, out position and |
| We're a much more responsive company | | | | outsell much larger and more established companies. |
| because of our size | | | | Today, the size of the company is not the most |
| We'll make you feel like our number one client | | | | important factor; it's the stability, viability and |
| Because we are a boutique, everyone who | | | | capability of delivering quality results at a great value. |
| works here is an expert | | | | If someone is trying to leverage their size against |
| Your account will be working with our most | | | | your small or virtual business, just remember to |
| senior people; there are no junior people at our firm. | | | | mention Enron, General Motors, Washington Mutual, |
| Our product is newer, taking advantage of | | | | WorldCom, Conseco and Lehman Brothers, all |
| current tools and technologies | | | | monster size organizations that filed for bankruptcy. |
| We don't outsource your support calls offshore, | | | | |